Flashcube socket

ABSTRACT

A flash device including a socket arrangement for receiving and retaining flashcubes in which the socket includes a base, a stabilizing stud centrally mounted on the base and a pair of retaining fingers mounted on top of the stud is disclosed. The fingers have a projection which extends radially outwardly beyond the stud and over the flashcube center post. A pair of upwardly extending arcuate members spaced on diametrically opposite sides of the stud lie in the rotational path of the flashcube lugs so as to locate the flashcube in any one of a plurality of predetermined aligned rotational positions. The socket is preferably a one-piece molded device though it may also be constructed using separate parts.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Venerio J. Rigolini 3,491,667 1/1970 Land 95/1 1 X 933 East 78th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11236 3,497,863 2/1970 Horton et a1 339/45 T [21] Appl. No. 833, 13 969 FOREIGN PATENTS [22] Filed June 13, l [45] at n ed S p 1971 1,293,584 4/1969 Germany 240/1.3

Primary Examiner-Stephen J. Novosad Assistant Examiner-Terrell P. Lewis I 54] FLASHCUBE SOCKET AttorneyJohn A. Howson 11 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 339/147 P, B T C A fla h device including a socket arrangement 339/45 1431/92 R for receiving and retaining flashcubes in which the socket in- [51] Int. Cl H01r 3/00, cludes a base, a stabilizing Stud cehh-ahy mounted on the base H011 13/54,}101' 13/62 and a pair of retaining fingers mounted on top of the stud is [50] Field of Search ..95/1 1, 1 1.5; disclosed The fi r have a projection which extends n 240/1.3; 339/91. 147' 154 outwardly beyond the stud and over the flashcube center post. A air of u wardly extendin arcuate members s aced on [56] References cued diafnetrically opposite sides o f the stud lie in the fotational UNITED STATES PATENTS path of the flashcube lugs so as to locate the flashcube in any 3,319,548 5/1967 Kottler 339/147 UX one of a plurality of predetermined aligned rotational posi- 3,375,484 3/1968 Petts et a1. 339/147P tions. The socket is preferably a one-piece molded device 3,398,389 8/1968 Fischer et al. 339/147 P though it may also be constructed using separate parts.

PATENIED SEP2 l87l 16091649 sum 1 0F 3 PATENTED was an sum 3 OF 3 FLASHCUBE socxs'r BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I This invention relates to flash photography and, more particularly to socket arrangements and flash devices embodying such arrangements for receiving flashcubes.

Flashcubes are disposable multilamp photoflash packages including an attaching base comprising a platform on which are mounted a plurality of photoflash lamp and individual reflector pairs, and a hollow cylindrical depending center post including a plurality of radially extending lugs adjacent its bottom. The general construction of these flashcubes is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,105, which issued June 20, 1967.

One-piece molded sockets and suitable flash devices which include these sockets for detachably receiving and retaining flashcubes are known per se, but prior devices of this type have not been wholly satisfactory. For example, they have provided only a limited number of orientations in which a flashcube can be inserted into and removed from the socket.

One object of this invention therefore is to provide a novel and improved one-piece molded flashcube socket.

Another object is to provide a one-piece molded socket which is of simple design, is easy to manufacture and is reliable in operation.

Further other and additional objects will become more apparent from the summary and detailed description which follow hereinafter and in connection with the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention includes a one-piece molded socket for retaining flashcubes in a flash device which may either form pan of a camera or part of an attachable or even a remote flash unit. The socket comprises a base, a stabilizing stud which is centrally mounted on the base and means mounted on the stud for retaining the flashcube on the socket once it has been fully seated therein. The stud extends perpendicularly upwardly from the base and is adapted to support the hollow center post of a flashcube which fits over the stud when inserted into the socket. The means for retaining the flashcube in the socket comprise a plurality of fingers mounted on the stud at a predetennined level above the base. These fingers are resiliently flexible and terminate in a projection which defines an upper cam surface and a lower latch surface, both of which extend radially outwardly over the upper end of an inserted flashcubes center post. In this way the flashcube is free to be rotated about the post but is prevented from coming out of the socket unless pulled out.

Inserting the flashcube in the socket involves placing the v center post over the stabilizing stud and sliding the post downwardly over it. During this movement the cylindrical wall defining the post contacts the cam surface portion of the fingers and urges the fingers radially inwardly. Then as the post becomes fully seated its upper end slides past the cam surface portion of the fingers onto their latch surface portions and allows the fingers to move radially outwardly again so they lie adjacent to and over the upper end of the post.

The socket according to the invention also includes means integral with the base lying in the rotational path of at least a portion of two of the lugs extending radially from the flashcub's center post when a flashcube is fully seated in the socket. These preferably comprise a plurality of upwardly extending arcuate members mounted on the base on diametrically opposite sides of the stabilizing stud. The ends of these members or ribs lie adjacent and between adjacent lugs on the flashcubes center post. In this manner easy rotation of the flashcube in one direction about the stud is prevented by contact between certain of the lugs and one of the ends of the arcuate members. Easy rotation in the opposite direction is prevented by a similar contact between the remaining lugs and the opposite ends of the arcuate members. The radius of curvature of the arcuate members and the radial position of these members with respect to the stud and center postkeeps all but the ends of these members radially beyond the reach of the lugs. In addition, all of the arcuate members are resilient so that when an intentional rotational force is applied to a flashcube seated in the socket, the lugs push the ends of the arcuate members radially outwardly and slide past them. Thus, the cube can be easily rotated to any one of its predetermined rotational aligned positions. As soon as a lug passes the end of an arcuate member the end resiliently returns to its former radial position and acts as a stop for the next approaching lug.

The invention also includes means for stopping the downward movement of the flashcube and for supporting it when it has become fully seated in the socket. Preferably these means comprise a plurality of spaced apart upwardly extending ribs mounted on the upper surface of the socket. These ribs contact the flashcubes platform portion when the cube has become fully seated and thus prevent its further downward movement. When the flashcube is rotated its platform slides along these ribs which also help keep the flashcube upright. Other means such as a stop mounted adjacent the bottom of the stud can also be used to halt the downward travel of a flashcubes center post, but such an element does not give the same uprighting support as the ribs do.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a socket according to the invention mounted in a flash unit which is attachable to a camera. An attached flashcube is outlined in dot-dash lines.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIGS is a vertical cross section view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 taken generally along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and showing the central stabilizing stud in elevation with a flashcube outlined in dot-dash lines.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the FIG. I embodiment taken generally along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 showing some of the electrical circuitry of the device with the housing shown in cross section.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross section view of the FIG-'1 embodiment taken generally along line 5-5 of FIG. 2 in a manner similar to that of FIG. 3. I

FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the FIG. I embodiment similar to FIG. 2 but showing the radially extending lugs of a flashcube in dashed lines in one of their predetermined positions.

FIG. 7 is a partial elevation view in section of the FIG. 1 embodiment taken generally along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the electric circuitry of the FIG. 1 flash device.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a socket according to the invention showing the electric circuitry in dashed lines.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross section view of the embodiment of FIG. 9 taken generally along line 10- 10 of that figure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1-8 of the drawings a flash device according to the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a housing 10 which includes a body member 12 and a battery closure member 14. Body member 12 is generally rectangular when seen from above as in FIG. 2 and its upper portion comprises a socket l5 including a plurality of platform supporting ribs 16 spaced approximately apart on the upper surface 17 of the socket. Spaced away from but encircled within these ribs is an opening in the socket comprising abase 18.

Base 18 includes a downwardly extending cylindrical wall 20, an inwardly extending annular wall 22 connected perpendicularly at its outer periphery to the bottom of wall 20, a downwardly extending cylindrical wall 24 connected to the inner periphery of wall 22 at its upper end and a circular wall 26 connected to the bottom end of wall 24 and forming the bottommost portion of the base 18. Extending upwardly from the center of wall 26 is a stabilizing stud 28 which also forms part of the socket and which extends upwardly a distance beyond the upper surface 17 of the socket. A plurality of upwardly extending flexible resilient fingers 30 are mounted on the upper end of the stud 28. Also extending upwardly from base wall 26 are a pair of arcuate ribs 32 which are spaced equal distances apart on diametrically opposite sides of stud 28.

Each of these ribs has a pair of ends 72 which lie in the rotational path of the flashcubes lugs 21 when the flashcube is fully seated in the socket. They serve to releasably maintain the flashcube in a selected one of a plurality of predetermined rotational positions in each of which one of the flashlamp and reflector pairs in the flashcube are aligned in a firing position. The radius of curvature of the ribs 32 parts all but the ends 72 of these ribs beyond the reach of lugs 21 so that except for the interference of the lugs with the ends of these ribs, the flashcube may be rotated freely in the socket.

Referring more particularly now to FIG. 6 the flashcube 62 shown in dashed lines is shown in one of its predetermined positions with its lugs 21 adjacent opposite ends 72 of ribs 32. As is therein shown clockwise rotation of the flashcube 62 is hindered by the presence of one end of the ribs in the path of travel of two of the lugs 21 and counterclockwise rotation is hindered by the opposite end of the ribs which is in the path of travel of the other two lugs 21.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 a pair of adjacent apertures 34 is provided in wall portion 22 of the base 18 for permitting the flashlamp wires 63 bent around the contact ring 65 of a flashcube to be set in electrical engagement with the circuitry of the flash device when a flashcube is seated in the socket and oriented with one of its lamps in an aligned position.

As perhaps best seen in FIGS. 3, and 8 the flash circuitry of the device is housed within body member 12 and battery closure 14 and includes a battery 36, the positive end of which is electrically connected to one end of a conductor 38. The other end of conductor 38 is connected to a plug 40 which is mounted in a wall of housing and extends outwardly from body member 12. The negative end of battery 36 is connected to the positive end of a second battery 42 by a conductor 44. The negative end of battery 42 is in turn electrically connected with a conductor 46, one end of which lies in one of the apertures 34 for contact with one of the wires of a flashlamp when a flashcube is seated in the socket in an aligned position. in the other aperture 34 lies one end of the conductor 48, the other end of which is electrically connected to a plug 50 mounted similarly to plug 40 in body member 12. Plug members 40 and 50 are adapted to be plugged into and electrically connected with the flash circuit of a camera and when this circuit is closed it provides a conductor across members 40, 50 providing a path for the electricity which fires the flashlamp in an aligned position.

As is illustrated in FIG. 3 closure member 14 mates at its upper end with a recess 49 in body member 12 and is releasably held in position at its lower end by a finger 52 which engages a resilient member 54 for this purpose. in addition, at its lower end closure member 14 includes a lip 56 which rests on a rib 58 formed in body member 12 to keep the closure member from falling out of closed position.

A flashcube is inserted into the socket by placing its hollow depending center post 60 over the flexible resilient retaining fingers 30 (see FIG. 7) and pushing the flashcube downwardly until its platform portion 64 rests on ribs 16. During this operation fingers 30 are first squeezed radially inwardly toward each other by contact of their cam surfaces 31 with the center post 60 until they fit within the post and then as the platform is pushed further in the downward direction it comes to rest on ribs 16 and the top end 66 of post 60 comes to rest against the lower latch surfaces 68 of fingers 30. When this occurs the fingers 30 spring radially outwardly again so their enlarged projections 70 extend radially outwardly over the upper end of the connecting post 60 and maintain the flashcube on the socket.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 9 and 10 a second embodiment of the invention essentially comprises the same socket 15a with its ribs 16a, base 18a, stud 28a and arcuate ribs 32a. As with the preferred embodiment the base comprises a plurality of walls 20a, 22a, 24a and 260 with a pair of apertures 34a in wall 22a and a plurality of fingers 30a with their projection 70a mounted on top of stud 28a. The essential difference between the flash device of the second and first embodiments is that the second embodiment encloses no batteries and is intended to be connected with a camera's flash circuit by plugging the socket directly into the camera. For this purpose a pair of conductors 74, 76 are mounted in the socket, each being adapted to contact the wires of a flashlamp in the flashcube in an aligned position and a pair of plugs 40a, 50a. Plug 40a is electrically connected to conductor 74 and plug 50a is electrically connected to conductor 76. The insertion, removal, rotation and firing of a flashcube in this socket is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Though the socket and its base, stud, retaining means and rotational locating means are preferably formed of one piece, they may also be made of two or more separate elements. A suitable material from which the socket may be molded is Delrm.

It should be clear to those skilled in the art that while the particular embodiments of the invention which have been described herein have included the retaining fingers as being mounted on the top of the stabilizing stud, they could equally as easily be mounted in the side thereof. It should be equally obvious that the stud need not be cylindrical but may be polygonal with the retaining fingers either on top of or mounted in the side. In addition, it should be clear that other embodiments of the upwardly extending members for aligning the flashcube are also possible. Thus, a single arcuate member appropriately positioned on one side of the stud with its ends as shown in FIG. will also operate satisfactorily. Likewise, a plurality of unconnected members may be used for example by cutting each of the arcuate members in FIG. 6 into separate upstanding ribs. Likewise, an annular upstanding rib structure mounted on wall 26 of the base with vertical undulations in it may be provided to achieve the same result. Further, other and additional modifications and embodiments will also be obvious to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A one-piece molded socket for detachably retaining and supporting a flashcube having a platform, a hollow central depending post and a plurality of radially extending lugs adjacent the bottom of said post, said socket comprising:

a body portion including a base,

a central stabilizing stud mounted on said base and having a free end portion extending upwardly therefrom, and

a plurality of resilient, flexible upwardly extending retaining fingers mounted on the free end portion of said stud a predetermined distance above said base.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body portion has an upper surface, said stud extends a distance above said upper surface and said fingers have an enlarged projection which lies a predetermined distance above said surface and extends radially outwardly a distance beyond said stud.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there is also mounted on said base and spaced radially outwardly of said stud, means lying in the rotational path of said flashcube lugs for locating a flashcube seated in said socket in one of a plurality of predetermined rotational positions.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said means comprises a plurality of upwardly extending ribs.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said ribs on said base are mounted on opposite sides of said stud and are spaced away from said stud.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said ribs have an arcuate cross section when seen in plan and are flexible and resilient.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein there are two such ribs mounted on diametrically opposite sides of said stud and all except the opposite end portions of these ribs lie radially outwardly of the rotational path of travel of said lugs when said flashcube is rotated in said socket,

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said fingers are mounted on the upper end of said stud and have an enlarged projection for extending radially outwardly over the upper end of the flashcubes central depending post when a flashcube is seated in said socket.

9. For use with a flashcube having a plurality of ignitable flashlamps mounted on a platform having a depending connecting post and a plurality of radially extending lugs, a photoflash attachment comprising:

a housing member including a socket comprising a base defining an access opening for insertion of a flashcube therein,

a central stabilizing stud having a free end portion extending upwardly from said base a distance beyond the uppermost surface of said socket for insertion in said post,

and a plurality of resilient, flexible retaining fingers mounted on the free end portion of said stud for releasably retaining said post on said stud.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein there are means on said socket in addition to said stud for supporting said flashcube within said socket.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said means comprise a plurality of ribs mounted on the upper surface of said socket for supporting the platform of said flashcube. 

1. A one-piece molded socket for detachably retaining and supporting a flashcube having a platform, a hollow central depending post and a plurality of radially extending lugs adjacent the bottom of said post, said socket comprising: a body portion including a base, a central stabilizing stud mounted on said base and having a free end portion extending upwardly therefrom, and a plurality of resilient, flexible upwardly extending retaining fingers mounted on the free end portion of said stud a predetermined distance above said base.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said body portion has an upper surface, said stud extends a distance above said upper surface and said fingers have an enlarged projection which lies a predetermined distance above said surface and extends radially outwardly a distance beyond said stud.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there is also mounted on said base and spaced radially outwardly of said stud, means lying in the rotational path of said flashcube lugs for locating a flashcube seated in said socket in one of a plurality of predetermined rotational positions.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said means comprises a plurality of upwardly extending ribs.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said ribs on said base are mounted on opposite sides of said stud and are spaced away from said stud.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said ribs have an arcuate cross section when seen in plan and are flexible and resilient.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein there are two such ribs mounted on diametrically opposite sides of said stud and all except the opposite end portions of these ribs lie radially outwardly of the rotational path of travel of said lugs when said flashcube is rotated in said socket.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said fingers are mounted on the upper end of said stud and have an enlarged projection for extending radially outwardly over the upper end of the flashcube''s central depending post when a flashcube is seated in said socket.
 9. For use with a flashcube having a plurality of ignitable flashlamps mounted on a platform having a depending connecting post and a plurality of radially extending lugs, a photoflash attachment comprising: a housing member including a socket comprising a base defining an access opening for insertion of a flashcube therein, a central stabilizing stud having a free end portion extending upwardly from said base a distance beyond the uppermost surface of said socket for insertion in said post, and a plurality of resilient, flexible retaining fingers mounted on the free end portion of said stud for releasably retaining said post on said stud.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein there are means on said socket in addition to said stud for supporting said flashcube within said socket.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said means comprise a plurality of ribs mounted on the upper surface of said socket for supporting the platform of said flashcube. 